Guardian Angel - Softcover

Paretsky, Sara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140170677 ISBN 13: 9780140170672

Publisher: Dell, 1992

Synopsis

Racine Avenue is going upscale--bad news for hand-to-mouth residents like V.I. Warshawski. As tax bills skyrocket, newcomers pressure old inhabitants into fixing up their homes or moving out. To the yuppies on the block the worst eyesore belongs to Old Hattie Frizell, whose yard is "returning to native prairie, complete with hubcaps." Their block club wants her and her five dogs gone.

V.I. and Hattie have a relationship of sorts: one of those five dogs gave V.I.'s dog Peppy an unwelcome litter. When Hattie slips in her bath and is rushed unconscious to the hospital, V.I. feels compelled to get involved. But neighboring lawyer Todd Pichea and his wife, Chrissie, act swiftly to get the courts to make them Mattie's legal guardians. V.I. returns from a business trip to find they've put the old woman's dogs to sleep. Furious, V.I. starts poking around in the Picheas' affairs, hoping to turn up something scandalous enough to make them lose their guardianship.

Hattie isn't the detective's only worry. When her downstairs neighbor's oldest friend disappears, Mr. Contreras persuades V.I. to investigate. As she probes both problems, V.I. uncovers a scandal linking one of Chicago's oldest industrial families to union fraud and a politically connected bank. Her investigation takes her into the depths of the steamy Sanitary Canal and brings her eyeball-to-eyeball with her ex-husband, Dick Yarborough. When her dear friend Lotty Herschel and her own lawyer turn against, her, V.I. is left alone to struggle with the most serious case of her career.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Ericksen is an actress who performs on stage and television. An Audie Award and AudioFile Earphones Award winner, Susan has recorded many audiobooks, including Naked in Death by J. D. Robb and Savannah Blue by Mary Kay Andrews.

Sara Paretsky is the author of twenty books, including the renowned V. I. Warshawski novels. Named 2011 Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, and a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award given by the British Crime Writers’ Association, she is president of the Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Chicago.

Review

With each novel Paretsky lets intrepid detective V I Warshawski (Aka 'Vic') take a few more physical lumps, though the more interesting dings are emotional ones. Here Paretsky constructs and maintains one monster of a plot ... The author's gift for finding the precise urban setting and crafting her narrative jigsaw puzzle with unerring accuracy remains intact. Booklist With the creation of V.I. Warshawski, Sara Paretsky did more than anyone to change the face of contemporary women's fiction. Express on Sunday It's hard not to get caught up in her passion ... Snappy dialogue, tight plotting and realistic situations make Paretsky's unapologetically politicised thrillers a pleasure to read, whatever your viewpoint. Daily Mail The thing about Sara Paretsky is, she's tough ... she doesn't flinch from examining old social injustices others might find too shameful (and too painful) to dig up New York Times Some crime series grow stale over time, but there's no sign of fatigue here. This is partly because the recurring characters continue to develop and engage the reader, and partly because of the moral intelligence that informs the writing. Spectator Paretsky has been putting her private investigator through her paces since 1982, changing perceptions of women in crime fiction through the creation of a fiercely independent female detective. She keeps her brand of politicised noir fresh by responding to issues - social, cultural and political as well as gender - in contemporary life ... Paretsky is firing on all cylinders Metro

Edition details

• Publisher: Dell
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140170677
• ISBN 13: 9780140170672
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432